Folk Tale Letter Writing

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You Are Here: Pedagogy>Communication and Information Literacy>Learn to Telecollaborate>>00-01

Responding to Literature: Folk Tale Letter Writing

Teacher Resources

Project Rationale: Students can learn how to respond to literature by recognizing the different strategies which can be used to "respond". Teachers can teach the process by modeling a response to a particular piece of literature, and then the students can practice using different texts- in this case, fairy tales. Choice of literature which "begs" a response with a personal reaction is best to start with. Students respond to issues of abuse, sibling rivalry, jealousy, unfairness etc., because they have experienced them. Responding to the literature, while bringing in personal experience to elaborate and interpret, makes read text more memorable and meaningful.
Project Objectives

To use a fairy tale context to develop the different strategies which students can apply when writing a response . This activity accepts that response activities will enhance and deepen a student's understanding of literature.
To extend meaning (comprehension) by inviting a personal, emotional and creative involvement with text in the form of a letter.
To extend meaning (comprehension) by making connections between personal experience and a piece being read
To extend meaning (comprehension) by getting students to "experience" the main elements of literature- characters, setting, plot, theme (issue, problem, etc.), resolution of issue and its real meaning for daily life

The strategies listed below can be done in small groups, individually, or in whole class situations.

1) Visualize Create and describe images which arise as reading is done- can be written or told to a partner or group, draw	7) Write a story Write an experienced/created real life story which deals with the issues in the text
2) Link Make a direct connection with a similar experience in the reader's life.	8) Develop higher level thinking strategies Predict, infer/assume/presume, judge/evaluate, project/synthesize.
3) Compare/contrast Make a direct association with other stories.	9) Recreate the same text in a different medium Write poetry, a dialogue, create a piece of artwork.
4) List Make a list of feelings that occur while reading, link to a real life situation when same feelings occurred.	10) React to the text React by writing a letter, creating a news clip, developing a play which is based on the same issue, write a sequel
5) Empathize Assume the role of one of the characters.	11) Metacognition Monitor "response" thinking as reading is done, take notes.
6) Extend Rewrite/expand/alter some parts of the text	12) Metacognition Monitor the reading process by linking to response

Project elements